Faisalabad, Pakistan: November 27, 2010. (PCP) On 24th November 2010, Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM) in collaboration with Peace and Human Development (PHD) organized a public forum on the theme “Violence against Women: Causes, Effects and Preventions” to observe international day for the elimination of violence against women, which was joined by 195 Muslim and Christian participants from different schools of thought. Naseem Anthony (Executive Secretary-AWAM), Naveeda Shoaib (Director-Sarsabz Foundation), Amna Ehsan (Girl Guide Pakistan), Mujahid Gillani Advocate, Shazia George, Nazia Sardar, Shumaila Aslam (Assistant Superintendent District Jail) and Sadia Iqbal (Psychologist Dar-ul-amaan) were among the speakers of the forum, held at John Joseph Hall in Faisalabad. Naseem Anthony said, “Patriarchal system, discriminatory perception and cultural traditions against females cause violence against women.” “Violence is used as a social tool for reducing value of women against men, and for forcing females to be obedient to their male family members,” he added. Naveeda Shoaib said, “Incidents of violence are on the rise due to having no proper law for combating violence against women in Pakistan, therefore, government must introduce legislation for ending violence and for acknowledging women domestic workers as labourers.” Amna Ehsan said, “Poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and use of drugs are the main reasons behind violence against women.” “Government should bound all children to get basic education, and should provide employment opportunities to the citizens in order to seek an end to violence from the society,” she added. Shazia George said, “Traditional violence perpetrated against women is considered as a social right of men in our culture, so it is not recognized as a crime in our society”. “According to the data compiled by AWAM from January to October 2010 about Faisalabad District, at least 1391 incidents of violence against women have been recorded which include: rape, sexual harassment, murder, kidnap, suicide, burning, trafficking, forced abortion and mutilation,” she revealed. Nazia Sardar said, “Violence against women is the root cause of prevalence of violence in the society, so it is imperative for all of us to eliminate violence at all levels in order to establish a peaceful and prosperous society.” Sadia Iqbal said, “Females are considered inferior and powerless in our society, even they are not consulted in important matters like education, employment and marriage, the result is that they face psychological violence in all phases of their lives.” The speakers of the forum for the improvement in the situation of women’s rights called upon the government that: Women should be empowered by giving representation in every sphere of life in accordance with their proportion of the total population, and appropriate measures must be taken to remove social, cultural, religious, legal and political barriers in the way of women’s progress; Government must ensure proper implementation on the UN convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW); Women shelter homes and crises centers must be established for the women victims of violence; Implementation on the existing laws for the protection of women should be ensured, and new legislation must be created to combat all forms of violence against women; Discriminatory laws (Hudood Ordinance, Law of Evidence, Citizenship Act, Qisas and Diyat Ordinance and Custody of children) and customary practices (honour killing, wata sata, vani, child marriages and burying women alive) against women must be repealed, and informal courts/jirga system must be outlawed.